Key takeaways
- Your car’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is a unique 17-character code that identifies your car and never changes.
- Your VIN reveals key details like where and when your car was built, plus its specification.
- You can usually find the VIN at the base of the windscreen, inside the front door shut, and stamped into the floor under the driver’s seat.
- Although the information below is correct for current UK Toyota models, VIN placement tends to be consistent from car brand to car brand.
What is a Vehicle Identification Number?
The Vehicle Identification Number (often referred to simply as VIN or slightly redundantly as VIN number) is your Toyota’s legal identifier, and is applied to the vehicle during production.
Each VIN is unique, and since 1981 consists of a 17-character code made up of letters and numbers. It reveals important details about your vehicle, including information on the time and place of manufacture, as well as its specification and design.
First introduced in 1954, the Vehicle Identification Number is an important component in determining the history and identity of a vehicle, particularly when combined with the car’s DVLA licence plate and V5 or V5C documents (commonly known as its logbook). But while licence plates can be altered, each car’s VIN remains unchanged, and therefore is its primary identification number.
Why is the Vehicle Identification Number important?
The Vehicle Identification Number can be useful if you are checking a car’s history prior to purchase. You might be asked to provide your Vehicle Identification Number when ordering replacement parts for your car. A stolen vehicles can often be identified via its VIN. You might also require your VIN if your vehicle is subject to a recall. You can read more about Toyota recalls in the UK on our official website here.
Where is the Vehicle Identification Number?
In most modern Toyota vehicles sold in the UK, you’ll find a visible Vehicle Identification Number through a special cut-out at the bottom of the windscreen.
Additional VINs are repeated in a couple of places on the unibody chassis. One is stamped into the metal floor under the offside (driver’s side) front seat – usually visible behind a small flap cut into the vehicle’s carpet. The other is printed on a tamper-proof label located on the lower half of the nearside (kerb side) B-pillar.
There are a few additions to these standardised positions. Due to their separate body on frame construction, the latest Hilux and Land Cruiser models have an extra Vehicle Identification Number stamped into the underlying frame.
On the Hilux this stamp can be found behind the offside rear wheel, while on the Land Cruiser it is located behind the offside front wheel.
Finally, Proace and Proace Max vans have an additional VIN stamped into the centre of the chassis within the engine bay.
How do you read a VIN number?
Although there are exceptions to the rule, the first three digits of the Vehicle Identification Number usually refer to the country of manufacture, the vehicle maker and the vehicle type.
For example, if you check the first letter of the code, ‘J’ references Japan, ‘S’ references England, while ‘V’ identifies France. Turkey gets an ‘N’, while Thailand and South Africa (where some of our Hilux vehicles are produced) get an ‘M’ and ‘A’ respectively.
The second letter is usually ‘T’, which describes Toyota, the third describes which group of cars (or sometimes which chassis type) the vehicle sits on.
The next six numbers reference the car’s body style, engine and gearbox, while the remaining eight is a combination unique to the car, listing the year the car was made, the factory it was produced in and where it came in the production process.
Frequently asked questions
Is the VIN the same as a registration number?
No. A VIN is permanent to the vehicle, while a registration plate can be changed.
Can two cars have the same VIN?
No. Every VIN is unique to a specific vehicle.
Is it safe to share a VIN?
Generally yes, but it should only be shared when absolutely necessary.
How can I get more information?
Feel free to ask additional questions about Vehicle Identification Numbers in the comments section below, but please be aware that our support team can only answer queries related to the UK market. If you are not in the UK, please direct your query to the Toyota organisation in your country.
If you have specific technical concerns about your Toyota in the UK, please contact your nearest centre.
Good day, I need help finding a VIn for a Toyota Corolla Fielder WXB 2016 model. Can you help me please
Hi Patrick,
Thanks for your comment.
Our database only contains information relating to UK specification vehicles, so unfortunately we are unable to look this up for you.
However, there is some general advice relating to finding your vehicle’s VIN on this blog post under the heading ‘How to locate your Vehicle Identification Number’ that may be of use.
Thanks.
Do you have a VIN Number for Toyota Belta please
Hi Jean,
Thanks for getting in touch with us.
We can only provide information relating to vehicles of UK specification, so unfortunately we will not be able to supply you with this.
However, there is some general advice relating to finding your vehicle’s VIN on this blog post under the heading ‘How to locate your Vehicle Identification Number’ that may be of use.
Thanks.
Where are the vins located on a mk6 Hilux
Hi James,
Thanks for getting in touch.
Further up on this blog post, there are certain instructions under the section ‘How to locate your Vehicle Identification Number‘ that might help you.
Unfortunately, we are unable to look this up for you due to our databases only containing information relating to UK specification vehicles.
Thanks.
Hello, could you please help me find the VIN number for my Toyota Yaris, re. number GV05 UKS? Thanks so much :o)
Hi Jessica,
Thanks for getting in touch. We hope you’re still loving your Yaris!
The VIN should be visible through a special cut-out at the bottom of the windscreen. Additional VINs are printed on tamper-proof stickers located just inside the shut line of the front nearside door. Earlier models may have a metal plate instead of a sticker.
The VIN is repeated on the vehicle’s chassis, stamped into the metal floor of the car under the right-hand (driver’s side) front seat. It’s usually visible through a small flap, deliberately cut into the vehicle’s carpet.
Thanks.
Thank you for replying so quickly! Problem is I’m without the key at the moment (it’s at my mum’s house and I can’t get there… don’t ask!) so I can’t open the car and look inside. The VIN at the bottom of the windscreen – should that be visible from outside the car? I had a look earlier today and couldn’t see it…
Hi Jessica,
Thanks for your reply.
Unfortunately, this may not be possible on your vehicle.
Due to data protection regulations, we are unable to provide a VIN without seeing proof of ownership.
We would therefore suggest taking this documentation to your nearest Toyota centre if you are unable to access your car, and they will then be able to tell you your VIN.
Thanks.
Just type in you’re number plate on the Toyota website and you will get you’re vin number.
Help me to locate the engine number for Toyota mark 2 GX 100,1G
Hi Stephen,
We do not offer that model here in the UK. Please contact Toyota in your area for further information.
Thanks
Hello, I just purchased a 1994 Toyota Hilux surf. Kzn130 3.0 TD engine. I cannot find the vin number anywhere on the vehicle.
Hi Nolan, congrats on your new purchase.
Try looking under the front passenger seat. Failing that, please let us know your registration number and we’ll take a look.
Thanks.
Hi I’m struggling to find a vin number on my 98 starlet sr is there anywhere else other then the plate in the engine bay where it would be on this car ?
Hi Josh,
Thanks for contacting us.
We can only recommend the places detailed in the blog post above, these being a special cut-out at the bottom of the windscreen or tamper-proof stickers located just inside the shut line of the front nearside door.
Earlier models may have a metal plate instead of a sticker.
The VIN is repeated on the vehicle’s chassis, stamped into the metal floor of the car under the right-hand (driver’s side) front seat. It is usually visible through a small flap, deliberately cut into the vehicle’s carpet.
Thanks.
I’m prettt sure it is a uk spec spec is it any use giving you the plate ? S113 tya
Hi Josh,
Unfortunately we cannot give out VIN numbers without proof of ownership.
If you’ve tried all of the places suggested above and still cannot find the VIN, we would recommend contacting either your nearest Toyota Centre or our Customer Relations team and providing proof of ownership to either of them.
You can find your closest dealer here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/forms-v2/forms?tab=pane-dealer
Or reach our Customer Relations team here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/help-centre/email-us
Thanks.
I found it on a 99 starlet so it might be the same if you are still looking. You pop the bonnet and if you look up the top by the windscreen we will say there is a plate with weights etc. Look to the left of that and the digits are stamped directly onto the car. Its also on the recall letter if thats why you are asking to book the apt. The local dealership didnt need it either when I rang. Just the license plate.
Hello, I can’t seems to find the VIN on my vehicle. Any chance you are able to search this? The reg. is WN54GUA
Thanks so much
Hi Lea,
Thanks for getting in touch with us.
Unfortunately we are unable to provide VIN numbers without proof of ownership.
There are suggested locations in the blog post above of where to find your VIN, such as through a special cut-out at the bottom of the windscreen in most modern Toyota cars.
Additional VINs are printed on tamper-proof stickers located just inside the shut line of the front nearside door. Earlier models may have a metal plate instead of a sticker.
The VIN is repeated on the vehicle’s chassis, stamped into the metal floor of the car under the right-hand (driver’s side) front seat. It’s usually visible through a small flap, deliberately cut into the vehicle’s carpet.
If you’ve tried all of the places suggested above and still cannot find the VIN, we would recommend contacting either your nearest Toyota Centre or our Customer Relations team and providing proof of ownership to either of them.
You can find your closest dealer here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/forms-v2/forms?tab=pane-dealer
Or reach our Customer Relations team here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/help-centre/email-us
Thanks.
I have a Corolla 2002 Model (Nigerian used car), I can’t find the VIN number. The supposed number on the cut area of the windscreen isn’t there, the attached metal is not there, possible pulled off. The only engraved number on the left side of the bunnet is CE1-5011281. I don’t know if that is the VIN, I thought it’s 17 digits
Hi Udochi,
Thank you for contacting us.
The only places that we can suggest to look for the VIN are detailed in the blog post above.
We would recommend contacting Toyota in Nigeria for further help with this.
Thanks.